§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the success of the education achievement awards; and if he will make a statement. [157776]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 10 April 2001]: School Achievement Awards are for schools that have substantially improved their results since 1997 or achieved better results last year than other schools in similar circumstances. They are a very effective way of recognising those achievements and enabling schools to reward whole staff teams. The very regrettable error affecting a minority of the schools involved should not detract from that.
§ Mr. CoakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what appeals procedure is available to schools that feel unfairly excluded from the list of those regarded as eligible for an achievement award. [157777]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 10 April 2001]: The Department has telephone and e-mail helplines for School Achievement Awards inquiries that are available to all schools. Every school that asks why it did not win an award is being told the specific reason. We will ensure that every school that qualifies for an award receives one.